Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 11/24/2009
Prior to the procedure, candidates meet with the surgeon to discuss the procedure, clarify the results that can be achieved, and the potential problems that can occur. Having realistic expectations is important in any cosmetic procedure. People will...
learn, for example, that although a face lift can improve the contour of the face and neck, other procedures will be necessary to reduce the appearance of many wrinkles. Candidates will be advised to stop taking aspirin, birth control pills or female hormones, and other medications affecting blood clotting two weeks before the procedure. Some physicians prescribe vitamin C and K to promote healing. Candidates are advised to stop smoking
and to avoid exposure to passive smoke at least two weeks before and after the procedure. Some surgeons also recommend taking antibiotics prior to surgery to limit the risk of infection. Often a steroid injection is administered before or after the procedure to reduce swelling.
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Three dimensional animation is used to show what takes place during a standard face lift. Photos of patients before and after face lift surgery are provided.
For a face lift, an incision is made around the ear at the base of the hairline (A). The skin is removed from underlying tissues in a procedure called undermining (B and C). The skin is pulled up to tighten it (D). The skin is stitched into place and excess is removed (E). (Illustration by GGS Inc.)
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Other Information
A facelift, technically known as a rhytidectomy (literally, surgical removal of wrinkles), is a type of cosmetic surgery procedure used to give a more youthful appearance. It usually involves the removal of excess facial skin, with or without the tightening of underlying tissues, and the redraping of the skin on the patient's face and neck. The first facelift was performed in Berlin in 1901 by Eugene Hollander. According to the most recent 2007 statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, facelifts were the seventh most popular aesthetic surgery performed after liposuction, breast augmentation, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), breast reduction, and rhinoplasty.
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